In the manufacture of towels and the like from pile-type fabric the starting goods are generally a continuous web of the fabric having edge regions that are devoid of pile, and even having crosswise pile free strips. To form a neat selvedge it is necessary to trim and fold over these edge regions, thereby forming a neat selvedge so that the finished product does not ravel.
As described in my German patent 3,249,642 this is done in a machine comprising a conveyor or transport device that moves the goods longitudinally in a transport direction sequentially along a path through a folding station and then through a stitching station. The conveyor typically comprises driven rollers that maintain the goods fairly flat and taut as they are pulled through the stations at each edge of the goods. In each of the folding stations the edge is folded over by being passed through a spiral-type folder having a pair of coextensive spiral tongues defining a spiral slot through which the edge moves. In the cutting station the folded-over edge is stitched vertically through to stabilize it and form the selvedge.
In this known system it is fairly difficult to maintain a set spacing between the finished selvedge and the edge of the pile region. Any substantial variation makes the portion of the goods a reject. In addition when workpiece thickness changes the folding device, which has a throat of medium width, frequently is too tight or too wide, so that further inaccuracies result or the workpiece jams or folds at the selvedge.